Electric gasoline gauge



1,634,165 June 28' 1927 w. E. WILLIAMS ELECTRIC GASOLINE GAUGE FiledJan. 22, 1925 5&2/ 6 Z4 lIII'I'IIIIIIIIIIIIL F5192 INVENTOR WML/,4,145M//L HMS Q BY ATTO NEYS Patented June 28, 1927.

UNITED STATES A M 1,634,165 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAI IDW-'ABD WILLIAMS, OF ROOSEVELT, NEW YORK.

nnnc'rnrc GAsoLINE GAUGE.

Applloltiign lled January This invention relates to electric gasolinegau es. f

ore particularly the invention relates to new and useful improvements inthe 'class of gauges or indicators for gauging or 1ndicating the qpantiyof liqui in a remotely arranged tan ,an has especial reference to thetype of devices which employ electrical indicating means, which isoperated by mechanism responsive to the rise and fall of liquid Withinthe tank.

One of the objects of the present invention is to produce an apparatusof the character mentioned which is efficient and effectual in use, andwhich has certain safeguards against explosion in cases where the sameis use-d in connection with tanks c ontaining explosive liquids such asgasollne.

Another object of the -invention is to produce a device which is capableof being used in conjunction with liquid tanks of different depths.

Another object of the invention 1s to produce a device of the charactermentioned which Will be simple of construction and one which may bereadily installe-d for use 1n connection with all forms of liquid tanksnow in use as part of the equipment of automobiles. A

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides inthe particular combination, relative disposition, and operation of theparts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the electricalindicating means employed as a part of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view throu h a tank with all but the lampcasing of t e apparatus shown applied to the tank.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a face view of the lamp caslng, which in use is arranged at apoint remote from the tank and the other parts of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the lamp casing shown 1nFig.

The invention, generally stated, conslsts of a tank which contains theliquid, ind1- eating means 11 includin a lamp' casing which is arrangedremote rom the tank 10; and means 12 responsive to the rise and fall ofthe liquid irr the tank forv actuating the indicating means 11.

22, 1925. Serial No. 4,091.

The tank 10 may be of any suitable well known construction and has anopening 13 therein. The means 12 and parts of the indicatingbmeans 11are attached to and sup- 60 ported y the top Wall of the tank at theopening 13. y

The indicating means 11 consists of the parts presently described. Acasing 14 which carries electric lam s y15 is arranged 05 at a pointremote from tlie tank 10. The casing 14 is subdivided by partitions 16into compartments 17 over each of which is arranged a translucent plate.The plate 18 is white and has the Word Full printed there- 7" on,whereas the plate 19 is colored red and has the Words Get' gas printedthereon and the plate 20 is colored green and has the word Half printedthereon. The casing has attaching lugs lwhich serve for the at- 75taclnnent of the casing. A circuit closer 21 is employed and consists of contacts 22, 23 and 24 which are arranged in an arc of a circle andare attached to a composite base 25 of non-conducting material such ascork and 80 liber; and a contact 26 in the formof a segment arrangedadjacent the contacts 22, 23 and 24 concentrically with respect thereto,the contact 26 being attached to said base: and a bridging member 27 intheform of 85 a roller which is rotatably carried by an arm 28 ofinsulating material such as fiber. .Referring now more particularly toFig. 1, it will be seen, that Wires lead respectively from the contacts22, 23 and.24 to the n lamps 15 and the wire from each lamp to one sideof a source of electrical-energy such as a battery 29 and that a wirealso leadsfrom the contact 26 to the other side of the battery with aswitch 30 connecte-d therein. 95

The means 12before referred to specifi'- cally consists of a small shaft31 having a crank 32 to which is connected an adjustable vrod 33pivotall'y connected by a pin and slot connection as at 34 to one end ofa float arm 10 35 pivotally mounted as at 36 vhaving a float,

37 preferably of vcork at the free end thereof.`

The arm 35 is adjustable byv virtue of a turnbuckle 35. Thelpin and slotconnection is sufliciently loose to rmit rod 33 to oscil- 105 late asthe upper en thereof describes an arc because of the crank 32. The arm"k35 is pivotally connected to an adjustable bracket38 .attached to acompound disk 39 of cork and metal which serves as a gasket 11 andpartition over the mouth of a standard tank gauge connection 40 attachedto the top wall of the tank at the opening 13. The disk 39 carries awall 41 in the form of a partition for the housing or casing 42. Thewall 41 is made u from steel plates and an intermediate resihent asketpreferably of cork, all of which are bolted to ether as at 43. Thehousing 42 is preferab y cylindrical and is adapted for threaded enagement with the connection 40 as at 44 an has a removable cap 45 at theupper end thereof. A gasket of cork is arranged between a portion of thecap and the up er end of the housing 42, and a portion o the cork gasketof the wall 41 extends up to and in sealing contact with the wall ofthecap 45 .to make the housing air ti ht. The shaft 31 is mounted forrotation in earings or bushings 46 carried respectively by the wall 41and the wall of the housing 42. The shaft 31 is of two parts and iscoupled together as at .47. Collars 48 serve t0 prevent longitudinalmovement of the shaft 31. It is to be noted that the disk 39, wall 41and housing 42 constitut a mount for the float mechanism.

The circuit closer 21 is arranged in cooperative relationship to themeans 12 by attaching the same as at 49 to a part 50 of` the housing 42;the arm 28 carrrying the roller 27 forming a part of the circuit closerbeing attached to one end of the shaft 31 by a set screw 51 or the like.Suitable binding posts are employed in conjunction with the severalcontacts of the circuit closer for the proper connection of the Wiresbetween the several parts to which they are respectively connected. A

s In the operation of the apparatus and with the float 37 in the ositionshown in Fig 2, the roller 27 by virtue of the intervention of theseveral arts which connect it to the oat, will bri ge contacts 22 and 26with the result that the lamp 15 in the compartment of the casing 14behind the plate or panel 19 will be lighted to indicatev to a personthat the supply of liquid in the tank should be replenished. As theliquid,

such as gasoline in the present instance,`is put into the tank 10 thefloat 37 will rise causing the roller 27 to move to bridge the contacts23 and 26 to light the lamp 15 in the compartment of the casing 14behind the anel 20 to indicate that the tank is half full.

pon the increase of the amount of asoline, the member 27 will be causedto bridge the contacts 24 and 26 with the result that the lamp 15 in thecompartment of the casing 14 behind the panel 18 will be lighted toindicate that the tank is full.

In inventions of this typel in which electrical means is employed inconnection with gasoline tanks it is essential that safeguards eprovided to prevent ex losion caused by the presence of vapor of t egasoline at the contact forming part of the electrical means. For thatreason in the present invention the disk 39, wall 41, and housing 42 areemployedy to provide an airtight chamber and to isolate the mentionedelectrical contacts.

An airtight chamber is also formed between thewall of the housing 42 andthe base 25 of the circuit closer 21. By making the rod 33, arm 35, andbracket 38 adjustable or extensible the device may be operativelyassociated with tanks of different depths.

I claim:

In an apparatus for indicating the quantity of gasoline in a tank, thecombination WILLIAM EDWARD. WILLIAMS.

